LAS VEGAS – It was only hours before Ronald “Winky” Wright and Sugar Shane Mosley would settle the “War at 154” at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. And still, no one had seen Roy Jones. Not during the weigh-in Friday and not during a press conference early yesterday afternoon to announce Jones-Tarver II at Mandalay on May 15.

A Jones no-show is not unusual. In fact, it’s become so routine there is no nov elty, just a lack of profes sionalism. “You know how Jones is,” said Antonio Tarver, the former light- heavyweight champ who was eager to announce his fight.

Tarver still thinks he won on Nov. 8 when Jones took his WBC and IBF titles in a majority decision.

“I thought I fought the per fect fight,” Tarver said. “I out- fought the guy, I out-boxed him, I out-thought him in the ring. It was a chess match at times, but I check-mated him throughout the fight.”

Tarver’s a talker. “Every dom inant portion of the fight was delivered by Antonio Tarver,” he said. “I don’t see anything that Roy Jones did that would suffice in giving him the decision and taking my titles.”

Tarver doesn’t really need Jones to promote their rematch. Jones is a big-enough name where he doesn’t need to open his mouth to sell tickets. Tarver doesn’t shut up. But he made a good point yesterday about Jones: Why isn’t he here to support Winky Wright?

Jones and his Square Ring, Inc., serve as Wright’s promoter, but Jones wasn’t expected to show for last night’s fight against Mosley for the undisputed junior middleweight championship.

The word was that Jones had a previous commitment, rendering him unavailable the whole week. It’s one thing to stand up Tarver; another not to support Wright on the biggest night of his career.

“Him being unable to be here to support [Winky],” I think that’s a shame,” Tarver said. “Winky Wright respects him, I’m sure, so the guy should be here for his crowning moment. He’s his promoter of record. How can you not show up and support? C’mon.”

After saying a death in the family or world tragedy were the only acceptable reasons for Jones’ absence, Tarver thought of another. “Maybe he decided he couldn’t miss one day of training in his preparation for Antonio Tarver. If that’s the case, then God bless him.”

Tarver was a rare winner despite losing to Jones in November. The underdog held his own throughout the fight, catching Jones with enough solid blows to cause a welt over the champion’s eye.

Jones, whose previous fight was with John Ruiz as a heavyweight, said dropped his weight from 200 pounds back to 175 wore on him more than Tarver’s punches. The rematch should decide whether Tarver is a true threat to Jones. “I’m going to come in as confident as I was the last time, determined, more committed to finishing the job,” Tarver said.

Of course that’s assuming Jones doesn’t pull a non-show on May 15. If he can’t show up for Winky, maybe he can at least show up for his own fights.